


Osborne the Duck

by julienwrites



Series: Snippets from Childhood [2]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Introspection, M/M, Not Rachel Friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24409492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julienwrites/pseuds/julienwrites
Summary: “And who’s this little guy?” David is suddenly by him and Patrick’s eyes snap open, giving him a weak smile. “May I?” Handing him over, he takes a breath.“That’s Osborne. I got him when I was really little, took him everywhere with me.” Patrick explains, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I uhm...he stayed in bed with me till I was like...22 or something, kind of stupid right?”
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Patrick Brewer/Rachel
Series: Snippets from Childhood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740019
Comments: 12
Kudos: 172





	Osborne the Duck

**Author's Note:**

> A little idea I had about seeing a tiny bit into Patrick's life growing up, and how David and Rachel are different. 
> 
> Come find me @lickrustdavid on tumblr to chat or give me a prompt!
> 
> You can find Osborne [ here.](https://www.niniandloli.com/jellycat-daisy-runner-duck-small-10841602/?currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7j2BRDrARIsAHJkxmxRNUamjKfjYx_tywUokfOvkLgjX-joUkitYzWAkdYHuyQ1BHina8QaAqs-EALw_wcB)

When Patrick is three, his godmother Janette gifts him a little stuffed duck. It’s a dark shade of periwinkle blue, soft and with a long neck and little orange feet. Patrick takes to it almost immediately, curly hair bouncing as he hugs her tight, grinning. “Thank you!” His bright and bubbly demeanor makes all the adults in the room smile. 

“What’re you going to name him honey?” Marcy asks, ruffling his curls. His little face goes very serious, eyes squinting as he looks at the toy. 

“Osborne,” he finally decides, hugging him close. 

Clint knows exactly why this specific name is chosen. It’s the same reason the name is on a Maple Leaf hockey jersey up in Patrick’s closet. Mark Osborne is his favorite player on the team. He’d been the first team member to wave at Patrick during a game, been the first one he’d met after. Now, every time they go, Mark will smile and wave at Patrick, who stands in the same seat every time near the ice, watching with wide, admiring eyes. 

“Maybe Osborne will get a tiny jersey, if we can find him one,” Clint suggests, making Marcy roll her eyes. She knows what he’s implying. She’ll be sewing her son's stuffed animals a hockey jersey in the next few days. 

Patrick carries Osborne everywhere. To the store, to preschool, to hockey or baseball games. Marcy and Clint had been hesitant before, but they’re calm, level headed toddler, who rarely pitched fits, had sobbed the whole way to the grocery store and back the first time they’d told him to leave Osborne at home. Patrick’s good at keeping him close, a comfort item that neither of them would have guessed Patrick would have even gone for. 

Year by year, Osborne is still by Patrick’s side. He’s in his backpack every day up until second grade, when he has too many things he has to carry. Then, Osborne is sitting on his bed, half covered with a blanket as if he’s taking a nap, until he’s in fifth grade. By then, he’s just laying on his bed, but Patrick still sleeps happily with him, face half on his pillow and half on the ducks matted stomach, still carried from room to room usually. In middle school, Patrick only carries Osborne around if he’s upset, injured or sick. He’s still in his bed though, every night until Rachel appears. 

In tenth grade, Rachel comes up to his room and Osborne is sitting on his pillow. Patrick knows it’s uncool, but he doesn’t think she’ll say anything about him. She sits down on his green plaid quilt and gives Patrick a very amused but disdainful smile. “What’s this?” She raises and eyebrow, holding him. Patrick almost walks over to rip him out of her hands- instead, he shrugs. 

“Just a uh...an old stuffed animal.” 

“Mmm, well, can we put it somewhere else while we make out? It’s kind of killing the vibe.” 

Osborne goes into the closet for the first time ever, but he’s pulled out that night. It goes like that for a while, Osborne put up when Rachel is over. Sometimes Patrick wishes he could just forget about him, but he has trouble sleeping without the extra security. It’s not until after graduation, after they’re engaged, that Patrick decides to put him back out on the bed one night in his apartment. Rachel walks in and stops, the little duck looking back at her. 

“You’re serious? You still have that thing?” Laughing a little, she picks him up. “ _ Patrick _ . You’re twenty three. Come on, that’s embarrassing. What if Lane or Matt come over and see this?  _ Jesus _ .” Osborne gets put into a box that afternoon. 

Patrick doesn’t pay attention to what he throws in his car as he focuses on getting out. He can’t stay here any longer. Yesterday he called off the engagement with Rachel, and she’s been at her friends house since. His phone is turned off, sick of getting text messages from numerous people, knowing Rachel’s made up shit about how he was cruel and mean, how he told her she’d never be good enough. Patrick feels like it’s the exact opposite. Swallowing, he packs his clothes up, puts his random notebooks full of music, the few trophies he had from home, in a box and loads them up. He finds the random bin of stuff from his childhood he’s never really messed with either, in the back of their closet. He’s taking everything anyway, so he shoves it into the back seat and writes a note, leaving it on the kitchen counter. 

Schitt’s Creek is ridiculously different from anything he’s ever known. It’s not like the sheltered, quaint suburb he’s grown up in. It’s rural and tiny, and while Elmdale and Elmville are close enough, it still feels like he’s entered a different planet all together. Patrick lives in a small bedroom now, not comfortable enough to spend time out of it and around Ray’s house aside from a quick trip to the kitchen every now and then. He’s surprised all of his things fit in the room, but most of them stay boxed up and shoved into the closet, nothing meaningful enough to be taken out when he really only sleeps and works. 

The apartment feels fifty times bigger than the tiny room he’s had at Ray’s. He and David can both move comfortably around, plus privacy is the biggest difference. He’s still got the few boxes sitting near the couch he’s just bought, David walking around to decide on how to decorate, after the housewarming party a few weeks ago. David likes what Patrick’s started, but he keeps saying more can be done. Sitting down, he picks up the first box and goes through the items, throwing out half of the things he hasn’t used in over a year, not needing them anymore. He finds Osborne at the bottom of the last box, his eyes widening a little.

Fingertips brush over the old, matted fur. He looks well loved, battered and torn in a few places, missing an eye. He’s forgotten all about him. Patrick in a moment of sentimentality and weakness, hugs him tight, eyes squeezing shut. It reminds him of home, of his parents. 

“And who’s this little guy?” David is suddenly by him and Patrick’s eyes snap open, giving him a weak smile. “May I?” Handing him over, he takes a breath. 

“That’s Osborne. I got him when I was really little, took him everywhere with me.” Patrick explains, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I uhm...he stayed in bed with me till I was like..22 or something, kind of stupid right?” 

David’s looking at him, head cocked to the left, eyes confused. “Why isn’t he in bed now?” 

Patrick’s not expecting it. Of all people, he would have thought David Rose would have been abhorrently against stuffed animals,  _ especially _ as a grown man. “Oh uhm...I mean. Kind of kills the mood,” he can hear Rachel’s distant voice. “Besides, I don’t really need him anymore...I have you.” 

“Mm... _ well _ . I don’t mind...him sharing our space, if you want. I never uhh….had one growing up that I was like... _ attached _ to. It’s kind of cute, thinking about you with him,” David gives a tiny smile. “I think he’s cute. You obviously….loved him  _ very _ much,” he adds, looking at how distressed the animal's fur is. 

Still a little shocked, a little red in the cheeks from blushing, Patrick leans over and kisses him. “I love you. I love that..that you care, about stuff like this,” his voice is quiet, and he can’t stop thinking about Rachel. “I’m not….” he takes a breath. “She wasn’t a fan, of him. I put him away back then...for her. And I’m sure I still would have grown out of it, but..” Patrick shrugs, kissing David again. 

“Well. I’m _much_ better than her, obviously. 

“You are.” 

“Welcome to the family, Osborne,” David smirks at Patrick before going to set him on the bed. All Patrick can think about is the fact David had said family. A family. Their family. It hits him hard how much he wants to make that official, wants to ask him to marry him. It’s not the first time it’s crossed his mind, but it’s the  _ strongest _ time. The overwhelming need to spend the rest of his life with David Rose, and know they’ll be together forever. 


End file.
